Campaign launched to keep National Football Museum in Preston

10th, September 2009 by

Preston residents outside the National Football MuseumA campaign has been launched to keep the National Football Museum in Preston.

Proposals have been put forward to move the museum to a new home in Manchester, but the people of Preston are demanding it stay put.

Football legends are having their say, local politicians have got involved and so have former Preston North End players and they all agree that Preston needs its football museum and that the football museum needs Preston.

Local residents turned out in force at the museum on Thursday 10th September from 2 PM to show their support for the campaign, championed by the Lancashire Evening Post, to stop the museum moving.

The reason for the proposed move to Manchester is due to the high running costs of the museum and a budget shortfall, that is currently being covered by the North West Regional Development Agency.

The Football Association, the Premier League and Football League are all being appealed to in a bid to find funding.

Frank McKenna, chairman of Downtown Preston in Business, is supporting the campaign:

“Our priority is to keep the museum in Preston – we have to make sure that if we do keep the museum in Preston we start to market and support it more effectively. What a shame it would be if we lose this facility before the Tithebarn regeneration project.”

You can sign a petition to Number 10 Downing Street urging Gordon Brown to intervene and keep the National Football Museum in Preston.

So far, nearly 300 people have signed the petition.

Image provided by Nerissa Warner-O’Neill

  • rick

    More people would visit and enjoy the museum if it was in Manchester – wouldn’t that be better for all involved? Those who run the musuem will benefit from the extra visitors and receive the extra finance to improve what’s on show.

    The museum is struggling because few people know about it. It’s hidden away inside the ground of small football team.

    The most natural place for the museum to be is Manchester where football history has been shaped over the last twenty years. The city is recognised around the world as one of the most significat places in football.

    Can Deepdale and Tom Finney really copmpare to that? No.

    I think that it’s quite selfish of people in Preston to want to keep the museum when the best thing for those involved with it – and football fans around the world – would be for it to move to Manchester where it will receive more publicity and attract more visitors who can enjoy what it has to offer.
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